How to host an outdoor potluck, with 3 essential life lessons thrown in

Dear Sweet Friends,

It’s warm-weather season, and I am always looking for some fun outdoor activities to make the most of this weather. A great way to do this is an outdoor potluck, which is a potluck and picnic wrapped up perfectly in one amazing event. In this post, I will provide some tips on how to host such an event and how to keep it budget-friendly for you and your guests while using three (3) life lessons to reduce the stress of planning and hosting such an event.

Many of us are feeling the financial stress and money anxiety that comes with economic and financial uncertainty. As a result, we are more conscious about our spending, and one of the main activities we tend to cut out of our expenses are social gatherings. An outdoor potluck is a great way to help you and your guests enjoy each other’s company without busting your budget.

This type of social gathering is especially important during challenging times when we tend to isolate ourselves.  It allows us to surround ourselves instead with supportive and positive people. It is also is a way to” let your hair down” and release your worries for a period of time.

For many of us, planning and hosting an outdoor soiree may be intimidating. However, it is possible to approach the planning and hosting of the event with ease. This approach will involve utilizing life lessons such as letting go of perfection, asking for help, and embracing the sentiment that “ish happens,” so go easy on yourself, and as Tim Gunn says, “Make it work.”

What is a potluck?

“A potluck is a communal gathering where each guest or group contributes a different, often homemade, dish of food to be shared”(Wikipedia). Potlucks usually are hosted in someone’s home; however, since we have a few months of warm weather, why not bring it outside.

So you want to throw a little soiree for you and your crew, but money is tight, and your schedule is packed. Here are some tips on planning and hosting a fantastic outdoor potluck that is budget-friendly and with little stress.

How to Plan an Outdoor Potluck?

1.  What is Your Theme?  First, let’s choose a theme that will excite everyone. Whether it’s a specific cuisine or a holiday theme, make sure to keep it simple and communicate it clearly so your guests can plan their dishes accordingly.

2.  Setting a Time- Once you’ve picked a theme, it’s time to set the date and time. Remember to choose a date that allows enough time for everyone to prepare or purchase their dishes and a time that works for most of your guests. Determine if this will be a breakfast, brunch, or dinner event.

3.  Find a location-this could be a park, a rooftop space, your backyard or someone else’s backyard, your building’s courtyard, or any outdoor space you can access in your area that allows this type of event. Remember to check each location’s website to understand the rules, such as when they open and close and what is permitted (for example, alcohol). Also, plan for an easily accessible indoor space in case the weather does not cooperate, or you can always reschedule.

4.  Create a Guest List & Send out Invitations-Decide how many people you want to invite to your outdoor potluck. Also, remember to send out invitations! You can send traditional paper invites or e-invites via email or social media. Ensure you include all the essential details so your guests know what to expect.

5. Planning a Budget-friendly menu –Keep it simple and portable with finger foods and other easy-to-eat food! Please consider dietary restrictions while creating the menu, whether vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, or nut-free. Check out this article for some ideas.

A great way to save here is to emphasize that this is a Bring Your Own Bottle (BYOB) event. We know certain drinks and alcohol can be expensive, so let your guest know this is a BYOB event. You can provide some drinks like water, soda, and seltzer. You can also offer basics like plates, utensils, cups, and napkins. Communicate with your guests what you will be providing to avoid duplicating items.

6. Circulate a Sign-up sheet – Make sure to communicate clearly so everyone knows what to bring to avoid having too many of the same dishes. Ask your guest to choose an appetizer, main dish, side dish, dessert, or drink from the menu. The only traditional rule  of a potluck is that each dish be large enough to share among a good portion of the guests. You can also use the sign-up sheet to find out who has dietary restrictions and assign that person a dish that satisfies that restriction.

Here are some other things to consider adding to the sign-up sheet (i) Ask your guest to write or type out ingredients in their dish or, if store-bought, confirm that the dish meets the specific dietary restriction. This will help your guests identify what’s in each dish and avoid potential allergies or sensitivities.

 (ii) ask your guests to bring along some of their favorite board games like Monopoly, Scrabble, etc.; if you’re looking for something more active, bring games such as badminton or Frisbee.

A Few Useful Lessons

I mentioned that there are a few practical life lessons that can be used and applied in planning and hosting an event, such as an outdoor potluck. Three (3) Lessons that come to mind that will help ease some of the stress that comes with planning and hosting are:

• Letting Go of Perfection- The need to get everything perfect and have everything go right is an expectation we all hope for! When we have these hopes and expectations, we leave little room for disappointment. Therefore, when things do not go as planned, it causes anxiety and other negative emotions in the moment and sometimes beyond. Remind yourself you are human. Become mindful of the things in your control and focus on those things, everything else you may have to make peace with, or leave up to the universe and hope for the best. If the best does not occur, sometimes reframing the situation is one way to cope. Reframing what you perceive as a negative outcome when you have done your best is a great mechanism to overcome negative emotions when things don’t go as planned. 

• Going with the flow-  as I mentioned, when planning and hosting, there will be many factors outside your control, such as the weather, people’s behavior, things not going as planned or meeting your expectation, and Sweet Friends, that is life. It is beneficial to get to a state where you can allow life to life and work with what you have, while practicing patience with yourself and others. In these instances, perspective is key. Being able to shrug off mishaps and derailments and bouncing back/rebounding amid what may seem like chaos at the time can help you with this event and other life events. So remember, Sweet Friends, keep things in perspective, understand it’s not the end of the world when dealing with life’s little inconveniences, and just let go and go with the flow.

• Asking for help– If you need support, ask for it directly, and be open to receiving it however it’s offered. Having more than one hand on deck when planning and hosting an event, especially an outdoor potluck, can help to relieve some of the stress, so reach out and ask for help. Whether it is asking a friend or family member to help further decrease expenses by using a BJs/Costco card to purchase bulk items for the event. You may also need to reach out to a member of your close group if you need assistance finding a backup venue. If that person has a space that can accommodate this event, ask. If you don’t ask, you will not know. There is a 50/50 chance the answer will be yes. You can also ask some friends to join you in planning different aspects of the event. For example, one person can find the location, another can coordinate and monitor the sign-up list, you get the gist.

Pre-Event and Event Day:

Now that we’ve covered the planning of the outdoor potluck let’s move on to the days leading up to the event day and the day of the event.

1. Circulate a checklist to help your friend remember essentials, such as picnic blankets, chairs, collapsible tents, bug spray, sunscreen, dietary restriction labels, etc.

2. Make sure you get enough sleep, manage your time wisely, and find some ways to relax and de-stress. This will help you show up to the event more rested and ready to partake in the activities rather than being wiped out and drained.

On the day of your outdoor potluck, remind yourself to go with the flow and ask for help where needed. 

1. Lasting Memories-Encourage your guests to take photos and videos so you can all look back on the fun memories for years to come.

2. Clean up together- Hosting a outdoor potluck can be a lot of fun, but cleaning up afterward can be daunting. Encourage your guests to help clean up together to make the process easier. This way, everyone can enjoy the party without worrying about the cleanup.

Finally, remember to have fun! The most important thing about hosting a potluck is to relax and enjoy the company of your guests.

Have a wonderful day, Sweet Friends!

Sweet Lyfe Daily

Do you have any additional ideas for throwing an Outdoor Potluck?